Roller style firearm trigger

ABSTRACT

A roller-style firearm trigger mechanism is disclosed. The trigger mechanism includes a sleeve or bearing which freely spins or rotates around a pin or shaft or that freely spins or rotates within a receptacle that is positioned along, or that replaces, the portion of the firearm trigger that the shooter&#39;s trigger finger would normally touch during firearm discharge.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the firearm industry. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a new and improvedtrigger mechanism for use with all types of hand-operated firearms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Trigger mechanisms for small hand-operated firearms have remainedessentially unchanged since the invention of the “flintlock” firingmechanism around the mid 1500s. Modern firearms use triggers to initiatethe explosive discharge of a projectile contained within a bulletcartridge located in the firing chamber of the weapon. This isaccomplished by releasing a hammer or striker each time the trigger ispulled or squeezed by the operator of the firearm. Movement of thefirearm due to improper trigger control or incorrect trigger pull duringweapon discharge is one of the most common errors in marksmanship andfrequently causes the marksman to miss his or her intended target.Authorities on marksmanship, including military and law enforcementauthorities, cite trigger control or trigger squeeze as the mostimportant fundamental of good marksmanship. The U.S. Army MarksmanshipUnit Pistol Training Guide devotes an entire chapter to trigger controland includes the following quote: “(T)he most carefully attained sightalignment will be spoiled by the slightest error in the movement of thetrigger finger”. The U.S. Army Field Manual on sniper training statesthat “(T)rigger control is the most important of the sniper marksmanshipfundamentals. It is defined as causing the rifle to fire when the sightpicture is at its best, without causing the rifle to move”. It follows,therefore, that the act of properly squeezing or pulling the trigger ofa hand-operated firearm during weapon discharge is of paramountimportance. At the exact moment that a firearm is being discharged, theoperator or shooter must consciously attempt to move a part of thefirearm (the trigger) without moving the gun sights and gun barrel fromtheir aimed position. This problem is compounded or exacerbated by thephysical characteristics and functionality of the human finger itselfThe joints of the human finger are basically unidirectional hinges and,as such, do not allow the digits of the finger to move in a straightline when attempting to pull in a backward direction as when pulling orsqueezing the trigger of a firearm. Instead, as the finger is caused toinitiate a pulling or squeezing action against the trigger of a firearm,the digits of the finger are caused to rotate or swing along a planararc from the “hinge” of each joint thereby causing the finger to move ina rearward direction but also causing the finger to simultaneously moveslightly right or left depending on which hand the marksman is using topull the firearm trigger. True linear movement of the finger whenpulling or squeezing a firearm trigger, if that were possible, or theconversion of the arcuate motion of the finger into linear motion whenpulling or squeezing said trigger, would obviously be ideal as thiswould tend to eliminate or prevent incorrect trigger pull and theassociated movement of the firearm during the discharge sequence.

Presently, in order for handgun operators or marksman to attempt toeffectuate proper trigger control, focus must be placed on the exactpositioning of the finger on the firearm trigger while at the same timethe shooter must attempt to overcome the natural sideways movement ofthe finger as the trigger is being pulled or squeezed. Accordingly,handgun operators and marksmen are caused to spend countless hours ofpractice with live ammunition in order to attempt to develop the “musclememory” necessary to master these proper trigger control techniques.This is both time consuming and very expensive.

In an attempt to assist the firearm operator or marksman in perfectingproper trigger control techniques, various firearm trigger designs havebeen introduced into the market that essentially change the shape and/orsize of the trigger in order to make the trigger more comfortable andthereby allow the shooter's finger to be positioned on the trigger in amore natural manner. Another attempt to assist the firearm operator ormarksman in this regard has been to lighten the pressure required topull the trigger and/or to shorten the movement of the trigger necessaryto initiate firearm discharge. Unfortunately, this method of assistancehas also resulted in the production of firearms that are sometimesunsafe.

While the above techniques or designs may be helpful in assisting thefirearm operator or marksman in mastering, or at least improving, his orher skills in firearm trigger control and while countless hours oftraining or practice may also help the shooter or marksman hone theseskills, none of the prior techniques or designs address, or attempt toeliminate, the natural sideways movement of the human finger duringnormal trigger pull. This natural finger movement simply cannot be“trained away” and changing the shape or size of the firearm trigger, orreducing the pressure required to pull the trigger, has not solved theproblem. Moreover, trigger control techniques and trigger shape or sizeare of minimal assistance in situations where law enforcement officersor soldiers are actually using their firearms in the line of duty or inthe defense of his or her life as there is generally very little timefor concentrating on precise finger placement and/or proper triggersqueeze. The problem is further compounded for the officer or soldier inthese stressful situations by the natural release, or rush, ofadrenaline into the bloodstream which tends to affect the fine motorskills required to precisely place one's finger on the firearm triggerand to accurately squeeze the trigger while under such extreme pressure.

It would be expedient, therefore, to provide a new and improved firearmtrigger mechanism that allows the trigger finger of the firearm operatoror marksman to move in its natural arcuate manner during trigger pullwhile at the same time allowing only linear motion or pressure to betransferred to, or exerted upon, the firearm trigger during discharge.

The present invention is a substantial modification and significantimprovement over known designs and incorporates unique and novel designfeatures, which distinguish the invention over existing art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of this invention toprovide a new and improved apparatus or mechanism for converting thenatural arcuate movement of the human finger into linear motion orpressure directed toward or against the trigger of a hand-operatedfirearm during the discharge of said firearm.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a roller-style firearmtrigger comprises a cylindrical sleeve or bearing which freely spins orrotates around a pin or shaft positioned along the portion of thetrigger that the shooter's trigger finger would normally touch therebyconverting the natural movement of the operator's trigger finger to theleft or right during trigger pull into linear movement or pressuredirected rearward in relation to the firearm trigger.

According to an alternate embodiment of the invention, a roller-stylefirearm trigger comprises a cylinder mounted within a receptacle whereinthe cylinder and receptacle replaces the trigger shoe of the firearm andwherein the cylinder is allowed to freely rotate or spin within saidreceptacle thereby converting the natural movement of the operator'strigger finger to the left or right during trigger pull into linearmovement or pressure directed rearward in relation to the firearmtrigger.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a trigger mechanismfor use with hand-operated firearms which will not disturb sightalignment or proper firearm aim during trigger squeeze and firearmdischarge.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a trigger rollermechanism for use with hand-operated firearms which allows the firearmtrigger to rotate freely of other parts of the firearm during the firingprocess.

An important advantage of the present invention is the provision of anew and improved firearm trigger mechanism for handheld firearms thatcompensates for the natural sideways movement of the human triggerfinger during the firing process.

Another important advantage of the present invention is the provision ofa new and improved firearm trigger mechanism for handheld firearms thatallows the trigger finger of the operator to move slightly left or rightduring trigger pull without affecting the gun sight or barrel aimingdirection.

Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved firearm trigger mechanism for handheld firearms that greatlyreduces the error rate associated with improper trigger pull.

Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved firearm trigger mechanism that allows only linear rearwardpressure to be applied or transferred to the firearm trigger duringdischarge.

A further advantage of the present invention is the provision of a newand improved firearm trigger mechanism that allows the operator toobtain the correct trigger position much faster than with “fixed” or“static” triggers.

Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved firearm trigger mechanism that allows the operator's triggerfinger to remain in proper position on the trigger after experiencingfiring recoil.

Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved firearm trigger mechanism for handheld firearms that providesfor more consistent grouping of shots during sequential firing.

Another advantage of the present invention is the elimination of theneed for extensive practice of trigger control techniques and whichgreatly improves the shooting skills of firearm users.

A further advantage of the present invention is the provision of a newand improved firearm trigger mechanism for handheld firearms that makesit easier for the shooter to place his or her trigger finger in theproper position on the firearm trigger for firing during stressfulsituations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the following more particulardescription of preferred embodiments as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which reference characters refer to the same partsthroughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale,emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a typical prior art spring-action firearmtrigger mechanism having a “fixed” or “static” trigger lever.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the typical spring-action firearm triggermechanism of FIG. 1 with a preferred embodiment of the present inventionshown in place of the “fixed” or “static” trigger lever.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 2 shown installed withinthe trigger guard of a typical hand-operated firearm such as a rifle.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an alternate preferred embodiment of the rollertrigger mechanism of FIG. 2 wherein the roller trigger mechanism is inthe shape of an elliptical hyperboloid (hourglass shape).

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 2showing the components of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another typical prior art handguntrigger mechanism, used primarily with pistol firearms, having a “fixed”or “static” trigger shoe.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the trigger mechanism of FIG. 6 with analternate preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in placeof the “fixed” or “static” trigger shoe.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 7showing the components of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate preferred embodiment of theroller trigger mechanism of FIG. 7 wherein the roller trigger mechanismis in the shape of an elliptical hyperboloid (hourglass shape).

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 7 shown installedwithin the trigger guard of a typical pistol firearm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a typical firearm trigger assembly 100 having a “static” or“fixed” trigger lever 110 attached to a spring-action hammer releasemechanism 120. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2shows a rotatable trigger mechanism 200 attached to the hammer releasemechanism 120 of the typical firearm trigger assembly 100 shown in FIG.1.

Referring now to FIG. 5, said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 of FIG. 2further comprises a sleeve member 210, a shaft member 220 and aretaining member 230.

The sleeve member 210 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 comprisesa rigid tubular component 211 having a hollow cylindrical core 212.

The shaft member 220 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 comprises acylindrical upper component 221 and a cylindrical lower component 222.The cylindrical upper component 221 of the shaft member 220 comprises abase portion 223 and an attachment portion 224. The base portion 223 ofsaid upper component 221 of said shaft member 220 is slightly larger indiameter than the attachment portion 224 of said upper component 221 anddefines an upper flange 225 with respect to the lower component 222 ofsaid shaft member 220. The attachment portion 224 of said cylindricalupper component 221 of said shaft member 220 comprises a cylindrical tab226 for insertion into the hammer release mechanism 120 of the typicalfirearm trigger assembly 100 shown in FIG. 2. The cylindrical lowercomponent 222 of said shaft member 220 comprises an elongated rod member227 having an upper end 228 and a lower end 229. The upper end 228 ofsaid rod member 227 is centrally attached to the flange 225 of the baseportion 223 of the cylindrical upper component 221 of said shaft member220 and extends therefrom. The diameter of said rod member 227 isslightly less than the diameter of the hollow cylindrical core 212 ofthe sleeve member 210 so that when said sleeve member 210 is slidablyinserted onto said rod member 227 said sleeve member 210 is allowed torotate or spin freely about said rod member 227. The lower end 229 ofsaid rod member 227 is provided with a slot 231 for receiving theretaining member 230 of the rotatable trigger mechanism 200.

The retaining member 230 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 200comprises a C-shaped clip 232 and, when attached to the lower end 229 ofthe rod member 227 of said lower component 222 of said shaft member 220,forms a lower flange 233 for supporting the tubular component 211 of thesleeve member 210 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 after saidtubular component 211 has been inserted onto said rod member 227.

FIG. 3 shows the rotatable trigger mechanism of FIG. 2 operablyinstalled within a typical hand-operated firearm such as a rifle 300.

In an alternate embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, the tubular component 211of said sleeve member 210 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 200 ofFIG. 2 has been modified to resemble the geometric shape of anelliptical hyperboloid (hourglass shape).

Referring now to FIG. 6, this figure shows another typical firearmtrigger assembly 400 used with pistol-type firearms. Said assembly 400having a typical “static” or “fixed” trigger shoe 410 attached to atypical hammer release bow 420. In accordance with an alternateembodiment of the invention, FIG. 7 shows a rotatable trigger mechanism500 attached to the hammer release bow 420 of the typical pistol-typefirearm trigger assembly 400 shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, thetrigger shoe 410 of the typical trigger assembly of FIG. 6 has beenreplaced by the rotatable trigger mechanism 500 of FIG. 7.

Referring now to FIG. 8, said rotatable trigger mechanism 500 of FIG. 7further comprises a cylindrical member 510 and a receptacle member 520.

The cylindrical member 510 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 500comprises a solid tubular-shaped component 511 having an upper end 512and a lower end 513. The upper and lower ends 512,513 of said solidtubular-shaped component 511 of said cylindrical member 510 each presenta flat external surface 514 and further comprise a convex hemisphericprotrusion 515 centrally positioned along said flat surface 514 of eachsaid upper and lower ends 512,513 of said tubular-shaped component 511.

The receptacle member 520 of said rotatable trigger mechanism 500 isoperably attached to the hammer release bow 420 of the typical triggerassembly 400 of FIG. 7 and comprises a C-shaped component 521 having anupper arm 522 and a lower arm 523 extending laterally from a verticalcentral support member 524. The upper and lower arms 522,523 of saidC-shaped component 521 each have an external surface 525 and an internalsurface 526. The internal surface 526 of each of the upper and lowerarms 522,523 of said C-shaped component 521 further comprise a concavehemispheric indentation 527 for receiving the convex hemisphericprotrusions 515 of the upper and lower ends 512,513 of thetubular-shaped component 511 of said cylindrical member 510 when saidtubular-shaped component 511 is inserted between the upper and lowerarms 522,523 of said C-shaped component 521. The dimensions of theconvex hemispheric protrusions 515 of the tubular-shaped component 511and the dimensions of the concave hemispheric indentations 527 of theC-shaped component 521 allow the tubular-shaped component 511 to rotateor spin freely when inserted between said upper and lower arms 522,523of said C-shaped component 521 of said receptacle member 520.

In an alternate embodiment as shown in FIG. 9, the tubular-shapedcomponent 511 of said cylindrical member 510 of said rotatable triggermechanism 500 of FIG. 7 has been modified to resemble the geometricshape of an elliptical hyperboloid (hourglass shape).

FIG. 10 shows the rotatable trigger mechanism of FIG. 7 operablyinstalled within a typical hand-operated firearm such as a pistol 600.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various alterations in form, detail andconstruction may be made therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property right orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A rotatable firearmtrigger apparatus comprising: a cylindrical shaft component having anupper end and a lower end with said upper end being attached to thefiring mechanism of a hand-operated firearm; a cylindrical sleevecomponent having a hollow cylindrical core for slidably engaging saidcylindrical shaft component; and, a means for securing said cylindricalsleeve component to said cylindrical shaft component wherein saidcylindrical sleeve component is supported by said means and is allowedto rotate freely about said cylindrical shaft component.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical shaft component definesan upper flange with respect to said cylindrical sleeve component. 3.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said the hollow cylindrical core ofsaid cylindrical sleeve component has a diameter slightly larger thanthe diameter of the cylindrical shaft component.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said means for securing said cylindrical sleevecomponent to said cylindrical shaft component comprises a C-shaped clipattached to the lower end of said cylindrical shaft component.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for supporting and securingsaid cylindrical sleeve component to said cylindrical shaft componentdefines a lower flange with respect to said cylindrical sleevecomponent.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical sleevecomponent comprises a tubular member having linear external dimensions.7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical sleeve componentcomprises a tubular member having non-linear external dimensions.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein said tubular member presents non-linearexternal dimensions having the shape of an elliptical hyperboloid.
 9. Arotatable firearm trigger apparatus comprising: a receptacle componentoperably attached to the firing mechanism of a hand-operated firearm; acylindrical component mounted within said receptacle component forrotation therein; and, means for rotatably securing said cylindricalcomponent to said receptacle component.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9,wherein said receptacle component comprises a C-shaped member having anupper arm and a lower arm with both said arms extending laterally from avertical central support member and wherein each of said arms have anexternal surface and an internal surface and wherein said cylindricalcomponent comprises a solid cylindrical member having an upper end and alower end with each said end having a flat external surface furthercomprising a convex hemispheric protrusion centrally positioned alongsaid external surface and wherein said means for rotatably securing saidcylindrical component to said receptacle component comprises a concavehemispheric indentation along the interior surface of each of said upperand lower arms of said C-shaped member of said receptacle component forreceiving the convex protrusions of the upper and lower ends of thecylindrical member of said cylindrical component.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 10, wherein said concave hemispheric indentations of said meansfor securing said cylindrical component to said receptacle componentallows the cylindrical member of said cylindrical component to rotate orspin freely within the upper and lower arms of said C-shaped member ofsaid receptacle component.
 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein saidcylindrical member of said cylindrical component has linear externaldimensions.
 13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said cylindricalmember of said cylindrical component has non-linear external dimensions.14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said cylindrical member of saidcylindrical component presents non-linear external dimensions having theshape of an elliptical hyperboloid.
 15. A rotatable firearm triggerapparatus comprising: a receptacle component operably attached to thefiring mechanism of a hand-operated firearm wherein said receptaclecomponent comprises a C-shaped member having an upper arm and a lowerarm extending laterally from a vertical central support member andwherein each of said arms have an external surface and an internalsurface; a cylindrical component mounted within said receptaclecomponent wherein said cylindrical component comprises a solidcylindrical member having an upper end and a lower end with each saidend having a flat external surface further comprising a convexhemispheric protrusion centrally positioned along said external surface;and, means for rotatably securing said cylindrical component to saidreceptacle component comprising a concave hemispheric indentation alongthe interior surface of each of said upper and lower arms of saidC-shaped member of said receptacle component for receiving the convexprotrusions of the upper and lower ends of the cylindrical member ofsaid cylindrical component.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein saidcylindrical member of said cylindrical component has linear externaldimensions.
 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said cylindricalmember of said cylindrical component has non-linear external dimensions.18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said cylindrical member of saidcylindrical component presents non-linear external dimensions having theshape of an elliptical hyperboloid.